Morning-after pills get important victory

Reluctantly yielding to a federal court decision, the Obama administration announced on Monday that it will take steps to allow a version of the so-called morning-after pill, known as Plan B One-Step, to be sold over the counter to girls and women of all ages.

They will not need a prescription, nor will they be required to show any identification to obtain the emergency contraceptive. There will be no restrictions on where the drug can be sold; it will be up to the manufacturer to propose appropriate venues.

The turnabout from the administration's previous politically motivated restrictions on the pill was hailed as a breakthrough, or at least a significant step forward, by some advocates for women.

This latest stance substantially repairs the damage done when Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, intervened in December 2011 to block the Food and Drug Administration from approving the morning-after pills for all females of childbearing age.

In April, the FDA approved use of Plan B One-Step in girls ages 15 and 16, but that would still have required checkout clerks in drugstores to demand proof of age.

Now the administration has abandoned the legal battle and announced that it will move to make Plan B One-Step, an easy-to-use version of the pill, available without restrictions. However, it warned that Plan B One-Step might be granted "marketing exclusivity" for a period of time.

Ideally, there should be no restrictions on these remarkably safe and effective drugs that can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse.

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Morning-after pills get important victory

Reluctantly yielding to a federal court decision, the Obama administration announced on Monday that it will take steps to allow a version of the so-called morning-after pill, known as Plan B One-Step,